A Spark and a Flash
by Burst.ofSILENCE
Summary: A collection of Luke/Thalia drabbles. The son of Hermes and the daughter of Zeus, back when they were still on the run and their world didn't revolve around anything beyond each other.
1. i

**Here's a little Luke/Thalia drabble collection for you guys :) Each chapter's going to have 5 drabbles, each with a word count of anywhere between 50 and 500. It'll begin with the moment they meet, and it'll end with the creation of Thalia's pine. I know this has been done already, but I wanted to put my own two cents in.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. BUT, I DO own a copy of the second Kane Chronicles book (finally!) and ohmygods Anubis is just guuuhhh.**

**...Anyway, ON TO THE DRABBLES!**

* * *

><p><strong>A Spark and a Flash<br>**_A LukeThalia drabble collection_

_**i. Do you want a birth certificate to go with that introduction?**_

**Able**

"Hey! Don't steal my food!" A ten-year-old girl with dark hair exclaimed.

He held his hands up in surrender. "Whoa! Sorry. Didn't know it was yours."

The girl narrowed her eyes at him. He was probably about two years older than her, with blond hair and blue eyes that were a shade lighter than her own bright electric ones.

"You think that you can scare me with that shiny knife?" She said, critically eyeing the sharp weapon at his side. He blinked.

"You can see it?"

"Well, it isn't exactly invisible, now is it?" She retorted sarcastically.

"Well, no. But I didn't expect you to see a knife."

"Great. First, a giant, leathery bat-thing shows up and almost nicks my backpack. And now, some kid is insulting my eyesight."

"Wait. Did you just say giant leathery bat thing?"

"_Leave!"_

"Okay, okay! Look girly, this is all just a misunderstanding. I swear I won't bother you anymore." He said, subtly maneuvering himself towards the pile of food behind her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll just… take… what's… mine… and—"

"Get away from my food!" She screamed, shoving him hard.

"—Ow! Did you just _shock _me?"

She glared at him. "So what if I did?"

The blond-haired boy rubbed his arm, absentmindedly thinking out loud. "Huh. I never knew we could do that."

"...We? What are you talking about?" She demanded, raising her hand threateningly. But the boy just grinned mischievously.

"Oh, nothing. Say, Sparky, what do you know about Greek mythology?"

* * *

><p><strong>Certificate<strong>

"So, you're telling me I'm half _god?"_

"Yup." He replied, popping the 'p' sound at the end.

"And you're one too."

"Mhm. Son of Hermes, I am." He continued in that nonchalant tone of his. She eyed him incredulously.

"Okay… So who's my father then?"

"Dunno. Didn't your mom ever give you a hint?" The dark-haired girl thought for a while, before shuffling around in her backpack and pulling something out.

"She said my father left this for me."

"A mace canister?" He snorted "That's some godly daddy you've got there, Sparky." Thunder rumbled.

She turned the canister in her hand, her thumb brushing over the lightning bolt printed on it, before she shrugged and tried to use it. Suddenly, the canister expanded and morphed into a sharp spear with the same luster as the boy's blade.

"Okay, I take it back. That is so cool!" The blond boy said, astonished.

She was running her fingers over the spear when the tip crackled with electricity and shot a bolt of blue lightning onto the brick wall of the alley they were in, leaving marks on it. The marks looked _literally _Greek to her, but to her surprise, she could read it completely well.

_Daughter of Zeus._

The boy whistled. "Well, look at that. I was right to call you Sparky."

She didn't know how she did it, but she was able to make the spear collapse back into the mace canister. She stared at it for a moment before turning to him.

"I believe you."

He snorted "Great. So, what else do you need, a birth certificate?"

She whacked him on the head, and he thought that this was the start of one beautiful (albeit slightly painful on his part) friendship.

* * *

><p><strong>Retail<strong>

The dark-haired ten-year-old cursed lightly, rubbing her arms for any semblance of warmth. Not packing a jacket was a stupid fault on her part, especially considering that it was already nearing winter. Because of that, she needed to add 'avoid turning into a popsicle' on her list of things to do in becoming a runaway.

"Here." His voice rang out in the cold, and she barely had any time to look up before a heap of black fabric was hurled in her direction. She caught it and held it out in front of her. It was a Diesel jacket, much like the ones her mother's, erm, _associates_ sometimes gifted her with. If the girl inherited anything from her mother, it was the ability to put a price on any item at a single glance. And Zeus, this jacket did _not _spell 'cheap' at all.

"Where'd you get this?"

"It's retail." She just stared.

"...You stole this, didn't you?"

"Eh, pretty much." He shrugged, grinning boyishly. She scoffed, but put it on anyway. The warmth immediately surrounded her and she sighed audibly in relief. He chuckled.

"You're welcome." She looked up at him and frowned.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Why not? I mean, we're friends now, aren't we?"

* * *

><p><strong>Names<strong>

"I only realized it now, but I don't know your name, Sparky."

"Good. I want it to stay that way."

"Aww, come on! If we're going to be running away together, the least we could do is know each other's names. I don't know about you, but calling you 'Hey' for the rest of our lives sounds pretty stupid to me."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"So, Sparky, you got a name?"

"...Thalia. My name is Thalia."

"Pretty name. I'm Luke, by the way."

* * *

><p><strong>Astronomy<strong>

They decided to stop in the woods for the night, because while the dirt ground was bumpy and altogether uncomfortable to sleep on, it beat having to explain to a hotel why a ten-year-old girl and a twelve-year-old boy needed a room to crash in.

But heck, that didn't mean her back liked that arrangement.

"Can't sleep?" She turned towards the sound of his voice and gave a half-hearted shrug before turning her gaze back to the sky.

"Orion." She said, pointing to a group of stars.

To her surprise, he also raised his hand and pointed to the sky. "Canis Major."

She smiled and pointed to another. "Canis Minor."

"Heracles."

"Perseus."

"Big Dipper."

"No. Big _Bear." _She corrected."Ursa Major."

"You're making this up."

"I am not!"

The blond boy laughed heartily, and she couldn't help but laugh with him.

They began naming all the constellations they could, and before either one noticed, it was already late into the night. He yawned.

"Well, 'night, Thalia."

She smiled slightly, already feeling her drowsiness take over. "Goodnight, Luke."

The last thought that had passed through Thalia's head was that maybe (just _maybe_), she could get used to this.

* * *

><p><strong>By the way, there's only going to be six chapters for this drabble collection.<strong>

**Review, please! I need to know how to improve :)**


	2. ii

**This took longer to post than I expected. And it's short, compared to the last one. Sorry about that. But I can promise you that the last five drabbles for this collection will be longer than these. I know because I've finished three of them already (Yes, I know, finishing the last drabbles before the middle ones. I'm disorganized that way.).**

**Disclaimer: Seeing as I'm not male and I have never set foot on American soil, I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. That much should be obvious.**

**So, here 'ya go. Drabbles #6 - #10.**

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><p><strong>A Spark and a Flash<br>**_A LukeThalia drabble collection_

**_ii. The alien, and the superhero._**

**Names (Part 2)**

"So Sparky—"

"Don't call me that. It sounds like an alien's name."

"Sparky isn't an alien's name!"

"Yes it is! And it's unfair that you have your little nickname for me and I don't have one for you."

"So basically, if you had a nickname for me, I can keep calling you Sparky?"

"Maybe..."

"Then hit me with your best shot!"

"...Flash."

"Seriously? After the superhero? That's the best you can come up with?"

"It was either that or Twinkle Toes."

"...Flash it is, then."

"I thought so."

* * *

><p><strong>Sky<strong>

"Luke! Get me down from here!"

A wicked grin crossed his face. "What's this? A daughter of Zeus who's afraid of heights?"

Thalia glared down at him. "Shut _up!" _Luke laughed.

"I didn't know you were a tree-hugger, Sparky."

True enough, she was stuck on one of the lower branches of a tree, clinging to the trunk as if her life depended on it. How she got up there, Luke had no idea. That was just how he had found her when he came back from gathering (stealing) supplies.

Thalia scowled. "When I get down from here, I swear I'll hurt you so bad— Holy— _Luke!_"

The son of Hermes had jumped up and tugged on her leg, causing her to slip off the branch and free-fall for a short while. Luke deftly landed on his feet and held his arms out, just in time to catch the younger girl.

"There we go! Out of the sky and down on the ground." He told her, grinning.

Thalia exhaled shakily before glaring at him accusingly.

"You— I could've broken something, you know!"

"Come on. You didn't honestly think I wouldn't catch you, did you?" He asked teasingly.

She just grumbled and told him to put her down already.

"You're welcome!" He said cheerfully as he complied with her request.

Thalia huffed, punching him half-heartedly on the shoulder. "You are so annoying. But thank you."

* * *

><p><strong>Habit<strong>

"You have Pop Tarts!" Luke exclaimed, reaching out for one of the foil packets.

Thalia swatted at his hand. "What did I tell you about stealing my food?"

He grinned. "Well, I just thought that – since we're running away together and all – what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine. Ooh! Blueberry!" She slapped his hand away again. "Ow! That one had a shock in it!"

"Well then stop stealing my Pop Tarts!"

"Don't blame me! It's not like it's my fault my dad's the god of thieves!"

That got her attention.

"Wait. So you literally can't keep your pickpocket hands to yourself?"

He shrugged. "Pretty much, yeah."

Thalia couldn't help it. She laughed.

* * *

><p><strong>Names (Part 3)<strong>

"Hey Twinkle Toes—"

"I thought we agreed on Flash!"

"Yeah? Well, agreements change. Anyway, what are we going t—"

"Lalalala! I'm not listening!"

"Don't play with me Twinkle Toe—"

"LALALALALA!"

_"Dammit Luke!"_

"Language, Thals. And who were you talking to again?"

"Alright, alright! Flash! Gods, Luke, you're such a drama queen."

"Love you too, Sparky."

* * *

><p><strong>Cynic<strong>

Thalia suddenly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. Luke stopped in his own tracks and turned to her.

"Thals?"

"It's my birthday today." She mentioned slowly, staring at the date flashing on the huge screen on one of the buildings.

"Really? In that case…" He took her hand and darted through the crowd, pulling her along with him.

"Where are we going?" She asked as she got dragged along. A few blocks later, they stopped at a small diner. He turned his head to face her.

"Isn't it obvious? We are going to celebrate your birthday."

She took her hand away from his, frowning. "What's the point? I'm just another year older, nothing special about that."

He just smiled at her. "Come on. Lunch is on me. And I promise I won't steal it this time."

_-L/T-_

"Here you go!" Their preppy waiter said as she put the plates down in front of them. "Enjoy your meal!"

Thalia furrowed her eyebrows, staring at her plate morosely. She still didn't see the point of celebrating, especially when they were better off saving what little money they had for emergencies. Being on the run didn't allow for luxuries such as this. Before she could voice this out, Luke beat her to it.

"Happy Birthday, Sparky! I know it isn't much, but runaway or not, you should still enjoy life. I mean, think about it this way: you survived another whole year of kicking monster butt!"

Well, he did have a point.

"Thanks, I guess." She mumbled. He raised his glass of soda.

"Here's to being a kickass eleven-year-old daughter of Zeus."

She nodded, raising her own glass and clanking it against his. "Cheers." But her heart still wasn't really in it.

"Don't be such a worry wart, Thalia. It's your birthday! Smile!"

Her lips quirked upwards. Luke cracked a grin.

"There! See? You're prettier when you smile."

* * *

><p><strong>Anyone catch a Lilo and Stich reference? 'Cause there'll be another one in a few chapters from now. (Though that one will be more obvious) And is Luke too... Un-Luke-ish? I'm not too sure if I characterized him right. I mean, I always imagined that he would have that boyish charm (Speaking of charms, I've got a oneshot rolling around in my head for that xD), especially as a kid. Review, and tell me :)<strong>

**By the way, sorry if I annoyed you by using Names as a prompt thrice. It's just that that was the prompt that started this whole collection. Sparky and Flash. Hence the title. But that was the last 'Names' drabble. Promise.**


	3. iii

**I read the excerpt of Son of Neptune about a week ago, so let me point out some things I liked. (Warning for spoilers.)**

**#1: We've got Percy as a narrator again! Sure, it would've been better if it were in first person, BUT IT'S PERCY. I'm pretty sure you've missed his sarcasm as much as I have.**

**#2: ANNABETH IS THE ONLY THING HE REMEMBERS. Both my internal and external fangirl had an epileptic fit at this bit of info. Honestly, I'm still fangirling right now...**

**I could go on and on, but that would bore you people. On to two things I didn't like.**

**#1: NO MENTION OF NICO YET. (Is it painfully obvious how much I adore the boy? No? Guh.)**

**And, of course, #2: October is, like, four/five months away. Darn it.**

**OKAY ENOUGH OF THAT. BACK TO THE DRABBLES.**

**Disclaimer: I just bared my fangirlish tendencies about the series. Safe to say that I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. **

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><p><strong>A Spark and a Flash<br>**_A LukeThalia drabble collection_

**_iii. Cross your heart?_**

**Exclusive**

Whenever they fight (and that's a lot, considering their opposite personalities), it is almost always Luke who comes with a peace offering.

Of course, Luke eventually realizes that the way to Thalia's heart (okay, _forgiveness _is more like it) is very simple.

"What is that?"

"Cheeseburgers." He says matter-of-factly as he places the paper bag in front of her. "And I'll have you know that I didn't steal these. I worked hard for them, thank you very much."

She opens the bag and finds four double-cheese cheeseburgers – two for her, two for him – and an extra-large bag of fries.

"I like cheeseburgers." She admits, smiling slightly.

He grins. "Great! So, truce?"

She nods slightly. "Truce."

Then they eat their cheeseburgers in silence.

And just like that, their fight is forgotten.

Cheeseburgers eventually become a sacred tradition, something that is shared only between the two of them.

She has to admit: It feels nice to have something to call their own.

* * *

><p><strong>Influence:<strong>

"Get back here, Flash!"

"And get shocked again? No thank you!"

She chased him down the streets of Brooklyn, which was proving to be hard, considering that there were a lot of people around and she was chasing a fleet-footed son of Hermes. Luke grinned, turning his head to look at her.

"Come on, Sparky! You can do better than—Oof!" He huffed, bumping into someone. "Sorry about that, mister."

The man had a stain on his fancy black suit. The cup of coffee in his hand must have spilt when Luke bumped into him. The man was rich; that was for sure. If the monogrammed 'WD' on his suit pocket wasn't enough proof, his  
>'mightier-than-thou' attitude should've done the trick.<p>

The man narrowed his eyes at the blond boy.

"Are you aware how expensive this suit is? Not even your future great grandchildren would finish paying for it if you started now." He hissed, roughly pulling Luke by the shoulder. "Do you even know who I am?"

"Hey! Lay off him!" Thalia said, catching up and pushing the man away.

The man stared at the two kids for a moment. His face was turning purple, as if he couldn't believe that an eleven-year-old girl just pushed him. Before he could say anything, his phone rang. With one last scathing look to them, he answered his phone and walked away, muttering _'Vagabonds' _and _'Not worth my time.' _under his  
>breath.<p>

"Jerk." Thalia huffed.

"I just wish we could've at least stolen from him." Luke grumbled. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the wicked smile manifesting on his best friend's face. "Thals?"

She held up a black leather wallet with the initials 'WD' pressed onto it.

Luke stared at it in disbelief. "Is that…?"

"Nicked it when I shoved him." She admitted.

His face lit up as he laughed. "You're amazing, Sparky."

She grinned mischievously. "What can I say? I learned from the best."

* * *

><p><strong>Sunlight<strong>

Luke groaned and rolled away from the glaring light. "Who turned on the sun?"

Thalia smiled amusedly at the thirteen-year-old blond. "Morning did, Flash."

"Shut up. What time is it?"

"Does it look like I own a watch?"

"Ugh. Please, Thalia. No sarcasm so early in the morning. My brain can't keep up." She rolled her eyes.

"Here." She said, tossing a plastic bag down. "Have some doughnuts."

Luke suddenly shot up. "Did you just say doughnuts?" He peered into the bag and pulled out one of the sugar-covered treats. The son of Hermes scrutinized it before looking at the girl. "Cream or jelly-filled?"

She smirked. "Jelly." She knew it was his favorite.

Luke wasted no time in digging in like he'd been starved for days, causing Thalia to grin.

A few doughnuts later, he asked: "What's the occasion?"

She reddened slightly. "Well, it's nothing, really…"

Luke looked up at her, his mouth stuffed. "Hmm?"

"It's just…It's been a year since we first met. So, I don't know, Happy Anniversary, I guess…" She trailed off, embarrassed.

He stopped eating. "Oh." A guilty look crossed his face. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't notice—"

"Flash, chill. You don't need to do anything."

It was silent for a moment. And then Luke surprised her by standing up, a look of resolve on his face. "I'll make it up to you. Next year, I'm going to do something better." Thalia froze.

Truthfully, she never thought of their arrangement as permanent. A lot could happen in a year, after all; who's to say that they'll still be the same two kids? Would they still even be together? But the conviction in Luke's eyes made her believe that it was possible, that this thing they had was a little more permanent than she thought. She smiled.

It was a promise.

* * *

><p><strong>First<strong>

They sat with her bent over and leaning on him, both laughing hard.

"Okay." Thalia said once she managed to calm down. "First… First pizza."

Luke grinned brightly. "Four cheeses."

"Pfft." She snorted. "No wonder you're so cheesy."

"Hey! What about you, huh?"

"Hawaiian."

"That would explain why your hair looks like a messed-up pineapple—_OWW!_ Dammit, Thals! You didn't have to shock me!"

"Moving on."

"Fine. Sheesh. First word?"

"Broom… Don't ask."

"Potato. Likewise.

They laughed again. And then, it was her turn.

"First love?"

"You." He replied, grinning innocently. Thalia cuffed him on the head.

"You know what I'm talking about, idiot." She muttered, unable to hide the light blush on her face. Luke laughed, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Alright, alright! Hmm… I'm gonna have to say lightning." Thalia snorted, her hand poised to smack him again. "No, seriously! When I was seven, mom took me up to some mountain to see a lightning storm. It's one of the best memories I've got with her." She smiled slightly, glad that her best friend had some good times with his mother.

A few beats of silence later, he spoke up.

"…So, what was your first love?"

"You're delusional if you think I'm going to say 'you'." She scoffed, giving him a smile. Luke just smirked.

* * *

><p><strong>Expectations<strong>

They were in Connecticut, building one of their safe houses, when Thalia whispered to herself: "How long will it last?"

Luke looked up. "Did you say something, Thalia?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. Just thinking out loud."

He stopped stacking firewood and came up to sit in front of her. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" She nodded. "What's wrong, Thals?"

She ended up telling him the whole story. She told him why she ran away, how her father never appeared when it was most important, how her mother was an alcoholic who didn't look twice at her, and how she'd been looking after herself since she was five. She told him that she wasn't used to having someone always there, and that she sometimes spent the night wondering if this was all a dream.

Most of all, she told him how afraid she was – that, one day, she'd wake up and wouldn't see her best friend snoring away beside her. Now that she'd experienced how it felt to have someone to turn to, she didn't think she could go back to the lonely life she had before meeting him.

When she was done, she couldn't bare to look him in the eye. He probably thought she was so weak, worrying about petty things like that. But, as always, Luke defied all of Thalia's expectations.

He placed a hand on her arm. "Hey. I'm not like your dad or mom, alright? I won't leave you."

Thalia bit her lip. "Cross your heart?"

"Cross my heart, hope to die, I'll be here 'til monkeys fly!"

She rolled her eyes.

"Idiot."

Well, it got her smiling, didn't it?

* * *

><p><strong>...I swear, my writing style is declining. Maybe I should stop considering creative writing as my minor in college.<strong>

**Review, please! And tell me how to inprove!**


	4. iv

**Oh, my god. I am so, so, so terribly sorry. You guys must hate me for not updating. Anyway, this is part 4 out of 6. This is where Annabeth appears. I didn't write about how they met Annabeth anymore 'cause I think RR did a really awesome job with that already.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

* * *

><p><strong>A Spark and a Flash<br>**_A LukeThalia drabble collection_

**_iv. Ohana means family. (You are so cheesy.)_**

**Strategic**

"She could've brained you." Thalia told him softly, not wanting the seven-year-old blonde to overhear. They had run into Annabeth only moments before, and now, they were at their closest safe house so that the younger girl could change out of her PJ's.

"She could've." Luke agreed, and then added as an afterthought: "She'll make a great fighter."

Thalia bit her lip. "Do you think we did the right thing, bringing her along? I mean, we can barely take care of ourselves."

For a moment, Luke just stared at Annabeth as the little girl rolled up the legs of the pants he'd nicked for her. "I think," He began, choosing his words carefully. "She's safer with us. This way, we can protect her and teach her how to defend herself."

It was silent for a moment, and then Thalia spoke up. "You know, I keep getting this feeling that she's going to play a big role in our lives."

Luke shrugged. "Who knows: maybe one day she'd be the one to save us."

"She is a smart kid." Thalia commented.

He nodded. "It was a strategic move on our part." His serious demeanor was ruined when he grinned. She chuckled.

"Right."

"I'm right here, you know. I can hear what you're talking about."

They jumped up at the youngest demigod's voice. Annabeth stood facing them, arms crossed in front of her new (and equally stolen) shirt and jacket. The bronze knife Luke had given her glowed slightly

Luke grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry about that. Say, you hungry?"

Her stomach replied for her, causing the two older demigods to crack grins. "Starving, actually." She admitted.

The son of Hermes stood up. "Great! I know a place that serves awesome cheeseburgers." He said, winking at Thalia.

* * *

><p><strong>Beginning<strong>

_There. _That was the fifth time Luke caught Annabeth staring at a father and a daughter today.

"Miss your dad?" He asked casually, causing Annabeth to look at him. Thalia caught Luke's eye before turning to the younger blonde.

"No." Annabeth replied, shaking her head. "My dad… He didn't want me around. He always took my step-mother's side and even though he didn't say anything, I know that he blamed me for all the attacks on his family – his mortal family – so I left.

"Nobody wants me." She ended bitterly.

"Kiddo, that isn't true." Thalia said softly. Annabeth just shrugged halfheartedly. The daughter of Zeus turned to Luke, silently asking him to back her up, only to find that he was staring off into space and thinking awfully hard about something.

"Luke…?"

His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at her. "What was that cheesy line we heard back at Wal-Mart? You know, from that show with the furry blue alien?"

Thalia raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Something about… _Orlando?_ _Banana?"_

"_Ohana._" Annabeth corrected factually. "It's Hawaiian, for family. If I remember right, the show also said something like: 'Family means no one gets left behind.'"

Luke snapped his fingers. "Well, we can be an _Ohana_ too."

"Huh?"

The son of Hermes took Annabeth's small hand in one of his and interlaced his other hand with Thalia's. He looked at both girls before he spoke.

"We're a family now. Nobody's getting left behind. Got that?" The blonde girl nodded, a small smile creeping up her face. Thalia squeezed his hand and nodded as well.

Luke grinned. "Alright! Ready to get going?"

They walked hand in hand down Battery Park, and both Thalia and Luke noticed how Annabeth seemed a little bit happier. The daughter of Zeus smiled.

"Nice one, Flash." She whispered to him.

"I try." He whispered back.

* * *

><p><strong>Snapshot<strong>

"Flash, where the heck are you taking us?" Thalia asked as Luke pulled them along.

"To celebrate the beginning of our family, of course!" He said, stopping at a do-it-yourself photo booth. "Come on!" The son of Hermes practically ran in, an equally excited Annabeth right at his heels.

Thalia rolled her eyes but followed the other two inside. Luke was inserting a few coins while Annabeth beckoned the older girl over.

"Hurry up, Thalia!" She said, causing Thalia to laugh. She moved over to stand beside her two best friends.

Luke pointed to the camera and said: "Smile!"

Minutes later, they exited the booth, laughing heartily. When the photo strip came out, the three immediately huddled over to look at it. One picture showed Luke poking Thalia's cheek as she stuck her tongue out at him, while another showed him tickling Annabeth as Thalia laughed beside them. Another one showed Annabeth and Thalia side-by-side, grinning widely at each other like long lost sisters.

The last one was Thalia's favorite. Annabeth was in front, her head tilted slightly upwards to look at Luke and Thalia, who stood behind her. The two older demigods each had an arm wrapped around the other and a hand on either of Annabeth's shoulders. They were all caught mid-laugh, like they couldn't be happier with anyone else.

Thalia smiled and pocketed the strip. "Annabeth and I are keeping this. Gods know you'd lose it, Flash."

Annabeth laughed outright. Luke didn't object.

* * *

><p><strong>Motherly<strong>

"Are you sure you're alright?" Thalia asked Annabeth, not bothering with her own wet and tattered clothes or the cut just above her left eyebrow. The daughter of Athena winced as the older girl sat her down and pulled up her pant leg.

"I'm fine, Thalia. It was just a scratch." Thalia's brow rose and she held up the younger girl's leg, showing her the gash there. Okay, so maybe it wasn't just a scratch. Annabeth smiled sheepishly.

Thalia sighed and proceeded to clean and bandage up Annabeth's wound. Once she was done, she looked up. "There. Try to be more careful next time, okay?"

The blonde nodded. "Thank you."

The older girl flashed a grin at her. "Sure thing, kiddo."

Luke, who had been watching silently as Thalia fussed over the blonde, spoke up, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Who would have ever thought that spunky, independent Thalia had a mother hen mode?"

The daughter of Zeus turned the slightest bit pink. "Shut up, Luke."

"Sure thing, Mommy Sparky."

She was about to whip around to glare at him when Annabeth said: "I've never had a mom take care of me before." The daughter of Athena looked up, an embarrassed smile on her lips. "It feels nice to have someone there."

Thalia's eyes softened. "I'll always be here for you, kiddo."

Annabeth grinned brightly. "I know."

"In that case, can I just add something?" The two girls turned to the third half of their family.

"Yes, Flash?"

Luke grinned. "If you're our new mom, then can I be the dad? I mean, it'd be pretty weird if I was your son since I'm older than you and all— Ow! I was just kidding!"

* * *

><p><strong>Hero<strong>

_Parry. Twist. Strike. Block._

"Angle your blade up a little higher. That's it!"

Annabeth was panting as she swung her knife again and again at Thalia. Thalia parried with her spear, slightly out of breath. This kid was good; they've only began teaching her a few hours ago and she was already catching on.

"Great job, Ann." Luke grinned at the youngest member of their family.

Thalia couldn't help but smile when Annabeth's eyes lit up at Luke's praise. The daughter of Athena beamed proudly.

"Let's take a quick break." Thalia suggested. Just as she was about to sit down, a shadow loomed behind her.

"Sparky!" Luke shot up and quickly pulled her out of the way, just milliseconds before a hellhound swiped its huge paw over the spot where she had been standing. She immediately rushed over to Annabeth and held her spear aloft, ready to defend the blonde just in case there were more monsters.

Luke moved swiftly, slashing with his sword again and again before the hellhound could retaliate. With one last stab, the hellhound turned into dust. Luke straightened up and looked over the two girls.

"You two alright?"

"Yeah." Thalia called back. "The hellhound was alone."

"That was amazing!" Annabeth exclaimed. She looked at Luke with wonder. "You're so strong."

Luke sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "It was nothing."

"Well, well, hero. Looks like you've got a new admirer." He heard his best friend chuckle. He looked up and saw Thalia's small smile.

"Thank you." She mouthed.

"Anytime." He mouthed back.

* * *

><p><strong>Again, I am so sorry this took a while and I'm sorry this wasn't all that. Hopefully, the next one won't take as long. Only 2 parts left! I've got the last one pretty much done, too.<strong>

**Review! They make me happy. **


	5. v

**Part 5! I'm not too proud of this one. It's more of like a filler between meeting Annabeth and getting to Camp Half-Blood. Hope it's not too bad ):**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. (But I so wish I did)**

* * *

><p><strong>A Spark and a Flash<br>**_A LukeThalia drabble collection_

**_v. Never forget today._**

**Spoiling**

"That girl has you wrapped around her little seven-year-old finger." Thalia amusedly commented one day. Luke frowned at her.

"She does not." He countered, right before giving in to said little girl's request for a piggy-back ride.

"Uh, yeah, she does. You spoil her too much, Flash." The daughter of Zeus told him, a wicked smile on her face.

"You're just jealous 'cause it isn't you. Admit it, Thals." He teased.

"Oh, _sure. _I'm _so_ sad that I'm not your favorite girl anymore." She said dramatically before rolling her eyes along with Luke.

"Luke, can we go and get some ice cream?" Annabeth asked her 'favorite boy in the whole world', as Thalia once put it. The son of Hermes grinned and nodded.

"Sure thing, kiddo."

Thalia snickered. "Whipped."

"Shut up, Sparky. No ice cream for you."

"...Damn it."

* * *

><p><strong>Accidental<strong>

"Psst, Thalia! Wake up." Luke whispered in her ear. Thalia shot up, a hand already reaching for her mace canister.

"What?" the son of Hermes grinned.

"Happy Anniversary."

She blinked, staring at him incredulously, before she groaned and lied back down.

"Seriously, Luke? The sun's not even up yet! Can't we do this in a more convenient time? Like, _in the morning_, maybe?"

"No way. You showed me up last year—"

"You wouldn't even have realized it was our anniversary if I didn't tell you."

"—Exactly! So this year, I'm pulling out all the stops. I even made a speech and everything!"

She sighed, but smiled. It was hard to be annoyed at him, especially when she was as excited as he was.

She sat up and raised an eyebrow. "Alright then. Let's hear this speech of yours."

He grinned and cleared his throat theatrically. "Meeting you was by accident. Running away with you was by choice. Becoming your best friend? That was fate, hands down."

Thalia shook her head, crossing her arms. "You'd think that, after all these years of running away with you, I'd get used to your cheeseball remarks."

"Is that any way to talk to the cheeseball who got you a gift?" He teased. The son of Hermes swiftly went to his backpack and rummaged through it before pulling something out. "Tada!"

The daughter of Zeus let her arms slowly fall back to her sides as she saw his gift. "Flash, this is…"

In his hand were two leather cords, each with a charm dangling from it. One charm was a white wing – much like the ones on Hermes' shoes when they had seen the messenger god – while the other was a yellow lightning bolt.

"I had it made back in that antique shop. You get the wing, and I get the lightning bolt. That way, we'll always have a piece of each other."

"Have I mentioned how cheesy you are, really?" She commented dryly, making him break out in loud guffaws. He handed over her necklace and she held it aloft, examining it with an excited gleam in her eyes. Luke held his up as well.

"It's you and me forever, Thals." He said, grinning in that impossibly charming way of his. "Never forget that."

* * *

><p><strong>Misconceptions<strong>

Independence, women empowerment, family; it's everything his best friend stands for. Of course, _of course _Thalia will go for it.

_"The Hunters of Artemis?" Thalia repeats, looking at the two girls – one auburn-haired, one dark-haired, both immortal. Annabeth is beside them, staring critically at a flyer._

_"Yes." The dark-haired girl – Zoe – replies. "Should you decide to serve Lady Arteemis, you will be granted immortality. You will have a family – a sisterhood – with us."_

He doesn't remember what she said after that. He only remembers how Zoe looked at him when she emphasized the words _sisterhood_ and _us _– like he's something unspeakable stuck to the bottom of her shoe. He also remembers leaving after seeing the looks on Thalia's and Annabeth's faces. He can tell: they want to join the Hunters. Even so, he doesn't want to stick around to see his two best friends leave him like that. He isn't a masochist, thank you.

"And where do you think you're going?" His head shoots up at the voice. He becomes even more disbelieving as he sees the black-clad figure walking up to him.

"Thalia? What... Why are you—"

"Come on," She playfully bumps him with her hip. "You didn't honestly think I'd leave you for them, did you?" The daughter of Zeus grins as she holds up the wing-shaped charm around her neck. "I can't believe you forgot; you and me forever, right?"

For a minute, he just stands there, staring at her like she has two heads. Finally, he grins back and says: "Yeah."

"Forever's a long time." He comments a few minutes after they start heading back towards their camp.

"Forever's forever." She agrees, smiling slyly at him. "Face it, Flash: You're stuck with me. Actually, you're stuck with _us._"

Back at their camp, the Hunters are gone. Annabeth, standing next to their things, waves at them as they come closer.

"Hey! So, where are we going now?" She asks them.

"You know, kiddo, you could've gone with them if you wanted." He says instead, trying to sound nonchalant about it. Thalia raises an eyebrow. Annabeth just looks at him with those knowing grey eyes of hers.

"They aren't my family. You are." She says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

Thalia shoots him an 'I-told-you-so' smile, and Luke can't help but feel stupid for ever thinking that they'd leave him in the first place.

* * *

><p><strong>Luke<strong>

Luke watches them as they dozed off on their bus seats. As far as he's concerned, the only people who matter are the two girls in front of him. His family.

Annabeth is like the little sister he never had. She's smart, loyal, and fiercely determined. She looks up to him so much. His greatest fear is that he might let her down one day. That's why he tries so hard to be the strong heroic boy she paints him as. He swears not to let anything hurt her. She's the newest addition to his family (in fact, they've only met less than two weeks ago), but he loves her all the same.

Then there's Thalia, his best friend. Even though they only met two years ago, it feels like they've known each other for their whole lives. She's the only one who knows him well enough to guess what he's thinking. She's strong-willed, passionate, and oh-so-caring. He admits that running away with her is the best choice he's ever made. Thalia is the first person in his life to ever be this important, and he loves her for it.

"What are you staring at?" Thalia mumbles, staring at him blearily. He shakes his head.

"Nothing. Get some shut-eye, Sparky. I'll wake you when we're there." She smiles at him and goes back to sleep. Annabeth shifts a little and Thalia wraps an arm protectively around the younger girl, making Luke smile.

One thing's for sure. He'll do anything for his two girls.

* * *

><p><strong>Thalia<strong>

One shows Luke pointing to an alley, his signature 'let's go in there and kill something!' grin on his face. Annabeth stands beside him, grinning up at him.

Another one shows Luke and Annabeth sitting by a campfire, laughing at some joke Luke had been telling.

Each and every photo she looks at manages to bring a fond smile onto her face.

"What'cha got there?" Luke asks, plopping down next to her on the small bed of their hotel room. Annabeth is curled up on the bed beside theirs, fast asleep. Thalia shrugs

"Just some pictures." She replies, handing the small stack over to him. He takes them and shuffles through them like she did.

"Is this why you were at that printing store a while ago?"

"Yeah. The film from that disposable camera we got ran out, so I had it developed." She grins as she watches his reactions to the pictures: sometimes a quirk of his mouth, other times a fond chuckle, but most of the time, a full-blown 'Luke' grin.

"I don't like this photo." He states, frowning. When she sees that it's the one where he has raspberry pie splattered across his face, she laughs out loud. Luke immediately slaps a hand across her mouth. "Shh! You'll wake up Ann!" He admonishes, grinning playfully and poking her where he knows she's ticklish. Thalia squirms slightly but continues to laugh behind his hand.

When she calms down a bit later, he asks: "Are you finished?" She nods, absolutely sure that Luke could feel her huge smile against his palm. Despite this, he pulls his hand away, scoffing.

"You're lucky we love you, Momma Thals." He teases, ruffling her hair. She chuckles and swats his hand away. "Well, I'm going to turn in. You should probably do the same. 'Night Sparky."

"Goodnight, Flash." She manages to say before Luke plops down on the couch and shuts his eyes. Before she turns off the lamp beside her, she takes one last look at her favorite picture: the photo strip they'd taken last week.

Annabeth – her little sister, their baby – and Luke – her best friend, the dad between the three of them; they are her family. Not her mom, not Zeus, _them. _They are, and always will be, her one and only _Ohana._

And it's the best _Ohana_ she can ever ask for.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Only one more part to go! As you may have guessed, the last part is where it all ends and Thalia turns into a pine tree. Hopefully, it'll be posted in a few days :)<strong>**

**Review, please!**


	6. vi

**THE LAST PART IS HERE. And I'm sad to say that this is really the end. And I'm even sadder to say that this doesn't even end with 'and they all lived happily ever after.' D: I'M SO SORRY! As much as I want to end it that was, it wouldn't be Luke&Thalia, you know?**

**Anyway, let me just say that, during the time I was writing this collection, I fell in love with the fourteen-year-old Luke Castellan. He just has that trademark boyish charm and... guh, it makes me feel even more bad for what happened to him :(**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

* * *

><p><strong>A Spark and a Flash<br>**_A LukeThalia drabble collection_

**_vi. And then they were gone._**

**Rescue**

"Know that I'm going to kill you once we get out of this." Thalia said, panting as the three of them rounded a corner.

"Thanks for the heads up, then." Luke replied, just as out of breath as she was. Just then, they all heard a tremendous roar from behind them. The three demigods continued running until they reached an intersection with an alley at each side. The monster roared again, and this time, other roars and howls joined it. The sounds reverberated all around them; they couldn't tell which way was safe.

"What now?" Annabeth asked, her eyes flitting between their possible escape routes.

"This way!" A voice hissed, causing the three of them to spin around. From the left alley, a hand beckoned them forward. Although it was dark, they could make out curly ginger hair and the face of a pubescent boy.

"Come on!" When he yelled out, Thalia could pick up a faint bleating in his voice. This alarmed her. She raised her spear and the tip crackled threateningly with electricity.

"No way. How do we know you aren't with them?" She asked.

"They're getting closer!" The ginger-haired boy bleated, ignoring her question as the noises got louder.

"No time to think!" Luke exclaimed, pulling both girls' wrists and following the other boy – whom Thalia realized was limping – down the alley. All four of them took off, stopping only when they could no longer hear the monsters. Now that they were safe, Thalia realized that their savior was limping because he had _hooves, _not feet.

"Who are you?" She asked. The boy turned to her and replied:

"I'm Grover. I'm your protector, and I can get you someplace safe."

* * *

><p><strong>Promise<strong>

It was late at night, while Grover was out scouting the area, when Thalia suddenly said: "Hey, Luke. Promise me something."

"Hmm?" He glanced up and, upon seeing the look in her electric blue eyes, figured this was serious. He moved Annabeth from her position on his lap onto the blanket-covered ground, using his jacket as her pillow. Luke then stood up and moved to sit beside the daughter of Zeus.

"What's up?" He asked her. Thalia stared intently at the fire as she spoke.

"If something happens, I want you to take Grover and Annabeth and run."

"No." He said out flatly. She turned to him, exasperated.

"Come _on_, Luke—"

"I thought we agreed, Thalia. We're a family; nobody's getting left behind."

"I'm being serious here!"

"Well so am I!" He half-whispered, half-shouted. Annabeth stirred in her sleep, and the two older demigods were forced to tone it down. Thalia sighed.

"Look. We got lucky today. If Grover hadn't shown up when he did..." Both of them looked away. If Grover hadn't shown up, they would all probably be dead by now. "Anyway, if anything like that happens again, and we can't handle them all, you have to leave me behind. I might be able to buy you enough time to escape."

Luke remained silent, so she whispered: "Please, Luke. I can't lose you. Or Annabeth. You have to promise me that you'll do this."

"...Fine. I promise that if things get out of hand – and I'm pretty sure they _won't – _I'll take Grover and Annabeth somewhere safe. And _then,_ I'm coming back for you. That last bit isn't negotiable."

Thalia smiled slightly. "I can agree to those terms." Then, as an afterthought, she jokingly added: "Cross your heart?"

Luke chuckled. A fond smile was on his face as he lovingly ruffled his best friend's hair.

"Why is my heart always on the line when I make a promise to you?"

* * *

><p><strong>Run<strong>

"Oh geez, they're back!" Grover said as a howl rippled through the air. All three demigods instantly shot up. "And they're close!"

Luke cursed. Annabeth looked anxious, her tiny hand clutched in his. Thalia quickly knelt down and placed her hands on the younger girl's shoulders.

"Ann, go with Grover, alright?" Annabeth's panicked eyes met hers.

"What? You and Luke aren't leaving, are you?"

"No, no." She soothed. "No, kiddo. It's just that Luke and I need to be ready, in case we have to fight those monsters. We can't protect you if we're bringing you right into the middle of the battle."

A determined look passed the blond girl's grey eyes. "I want to fight too!"

"Hell no am I putting you in this much danger." The daughter of Zeus said vehemently, causing Annabeth to falter. The blonde wanted to retort, but she knew nothing she said would change Thalia's mind. The daughter of Athena nodded and moved to stand beside Grover.

"Keep Grover safe, alright kiddo?" Luke quipped.

"Hey! I resent that!" The satyr bleated, making everyone smile slightly.

They took off into the brush, with Luke and Thalia behind Grover and Annabeth. Once they were further away, Luke would move front to lead them and Thalia would stay at the back to cover the rear.

Luke and Thalia looked at each other grimly. His hand squeezed hers.

On the run again.

* * *

><p><strong>Face-off<strong>

"Just go, dammit!" Thalia yelled.

"There's no way I am just going to leave you here!" Luke shot back.

"You promised!"

They had been _so close; _only a few more steps and they would have made it to camp, to _safety. _But the monsters had caught up and if the four of them didn't get moving soon, they would all be dead. Thalia knew this; Luke did as well. But _Hades, _wasn't there another way to get out of this? Maybe, one that didn't involve him leaving his best friend to fend for herself?

"We don't have much time!" Grover bleated. He had a terrified Annabeth in his arms.

"_Luke!" _Thalia and Annabeth said at the same time. The son of Hermes looked back and forth between the two of them, wracking his brain for the right thing to do. Finally, he turned back to Thalia.

He gingerly swiped a stray wisp of hair away from her eyes before placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't... Don't do anything stupid, alright? I..." He swallowed. "I can't lose you, either."

"I'll be fine. I promise." She said.

In a fit of ADHD-induced stupidity, he swiftly ducked down and kissed her temple.

"I'm coming back for you."

She smiled. "I'm counting on it."

* * *

><p><strong>Sacrifice<strong>

The moment he saw Thalia's shield and spear clatter to the ground, Luke felt ice-cold fear clutch at his heart. "Sparky!"

He raced back up the hill. He had to get to her. Nothing else mattered.

_-L/T-_

It was no use; she couldn't move anymore. She had managed to defeat all of the monsters, but it took up all of her energy. A huge gash was on her shoulder where a hellhound had bit her. And, if that wasn't enough, her broken bones and other internal injuries morbidly told her that she wasn't walking away from this one.

Large, wooden roots suddenly sprouted from the ground and wrapped around her feet, lifting her slightly as they continued their ascension up her body. But instead of feeling alarmed, she felt peaceful.

"Sparky!" Luke cried out again once he, Annabeth, and Grover reached her. "Oh crap; we'll get you out of there."

"No. This…" The lower half of her body was already encased in the bark of a large trunk. The trunk kept growing, splitting into branches and sprouting thin, needle-shaped leaves. She looked back at him. "This is how it's supposed to be."

"Thalia...?" The daughter of Zeus looked down towards the blond girl who had called her.

"Annabeth. Be a good girl, okay kiddo?" Annabeth nodded. Tears were flowing down her cheeks as she slowly understood what was happening. She reached up and hugged whatever part of the older girl's body she could.

"I'll miss you." She mumbled, making Thalia's heart constrict.

"I'll miss you too, Ann." With that, the daughter of Athena shot away and moved back to Grover, her face hidden in her hands. Thalia addressed the satyr. "Keep her safe, alright Grover? I'm counting on you." Grover bleated, and she took it as an 'okay.'

Luke shakily stepped forward. Thalia grinned weakly at him.

"Hey, you."

"Oh gods, Thals, I'm sorry. I should've been faster—"

She slapped him. "Don't you even _dare_ go blaming yourself for any of this."

"But..." Before Luke could think of something to say, her hand cupped the same cheek she just hit. He looked up as she smiled tenderly at him.

"Thanks for the great adventure, Flash."

The bark slowly closed over her face, and her hand twisted until it was a wooden branch. Where Thalia stood only seconds ago, a magnificent pine tree now grew.

Thunder boomed overhead, and suddenly, rain began to fall, almost as if the sky was mourning for its lost daughter.

Annabeth tugged tentatively on his hand, tears running down her face.

"Luke?"

The son of Hermes clutched the blonde's smaller hand in his.

"She's gone."

And he couldn't help but think that a part of him had gone with her.

* * *

><p><strong>Aaaaand, that was it! Again, I'm sorry that it had to end on a sad note, but this was how it's supposed to be. Thanks to all those who supported this collection from the beginning! I appreciate it very much :)<strong>

**So, now that this project's done, I've got a couple more oneshots lined up. Two Luke/Thalia's, a Percy/Annabeth one, and I might jump to Harry Potter (or Maximum Ride) and do a Scorpius/Rose (or Maya/Fang/Max) shot. I've also got some (a lot of) prompts posted on tumblr. Just click on the link on my profile to get there. Feel free to PM me if you want me to do any of the prompts there!**

**Review, please!**


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